Washbasin.



No.. 645,639. Pa'tented M'ar. 20, |900. -V w. BUNTING, Jn.

wAsHAsl N.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1899.)

NITED STATES PATENT EEioE.

wiLtIAM ETING, JR., oE NEw YORK, N. Y.

WASHBASIN.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent No. 645,639, dated March20, 19.

Application fled April18, 1899. Serial No. 713,434. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BUNTING, J r. a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, (Flushing) in the county of Queensand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Washbasins, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of my invention is to provide an easily-adj usted, strong,and durable means for communicating the rotary motion of thewaste-valve-operating handle of a washbasin which is carried on avertical shaft with a horizontally-arranged shaft which lifts and lowersthe basin plug or stopper.

A further object is to provide, in combination with such means, astopper which cannot be removed by any person unfamiliar with theconstruction thereof and one which is constructed so that theoperating-handle may be continuously rotated in either direction withoutany possibility of doing any damage. I accomplish these objects byconnecting the Vertical and horizontal shafts with a iiexible shaft madeof a coiled spring and providing means whereby said flexible shaft maybe adjustably connected with the other shafts above mentioned andv byarranging the horizontal shaft which operates the plug so that it may bemoved laterally and become disengaged therefrom.

For a more complete disclosure of my invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, in which l Figure l is a vertical cross-sectionin elevation, showing the application of my improved operating means.Fig. 2 is a cross-section showing a preferred form of plug andarrangement of horizontal shaft. Fig. 3 is a front view of the lower endof the wing which depends from the stopper. Fig. 4 is a cross-section onthe line 0c x of Fig. 2.

The same reference-numerals refer to like j ection 6, connected to thewaste-pipe, so that said shaft may freely rotate therein. The shaft 5 isprovided with ashoulder 5l, so that the rod 5 will be heldagainstlongitudinal movement by nut 23, which screws onto the end of projection6. Astout spring or coil of wire 7 is adjustably connectedto theadjacent ends of each of said shafts, so that when the handle 2 isturned the horizontal shaft 5 will be caused to rotate. The ends of theshafts to which said wire lspring is connected are each provided withaseries of transverse holes 8 S', through any one of which thecorresponding ends of the wire may be passed. After the ends of the wireare bent into their proper holes cup-shaped nuts or sleeves 9 9, whichhave been previously placed on the shafts, may be moved against the endsof the wire coil at the points where it passes through the shafts andmay be securely locked in this position by nuts 10 10', which` arescrewed on said shafts. It will thus be seen that the horizontal andvertical shafts are securely connected by a means which is readilyadaptable to widely-varying conditions as to size of bowl or bath-tuband location of operating-handle, and this means will permit thehorizontal shaft to be 'rotated by the vertical shaft with a minimumamount of friction, and it is, moreover, cheap and very effective forthe purpose illustrated.

The basin is provided with a plug 1l, which has an annular groove l2under the lower end thereof. An eccentric-pin 13 on the end of the shaft5 engages said groove, so that when the shaft is rotated the plug willbe raised, and upon further rotation thereof it will be lowered. Theparts are so arranged that when the plug isresting on its seat theeccentric# pin 13 will be in its lowered position, as shown in thedrawings, so that when the shaft is rotated in either direction, so asto move the pin from this position, the plug will be lifted, and whenthe pin reaches its highest position the passage will be opened to itsfullest extent. As both shafts are capable of complete rotation ineither direction, there is no possibility IOO the plug so that the pin13 will engage the groove 12, or to remove said plug, it must be turnedso that the vertical slot 14:, which eX- tends downwardly from saidgroove, is opposite said pin.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4L I show a modified form of plug which may be usedin connection with the lifting means therefor above described. In thisform I make the stem of the plug in the form of a feather 15, which isprovided near its lower end with a chamber 16, which is formed by twodiverging walls 17 18, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 2 I also showthe tubular projection 2O chambered out to`a shoulder 21, saidchambered-out portion being of sufficient diameter to permit theshoulder 19 of shaft 5" to bear against the shoulder 21. A nut 23',having an extended bearing portion for the shaft 5", is screwed on thechamber 20, and a spring 24 may be interposed between said shoulder 19and said nut, so that the pin 13 will be more securely held inengagement with the recess 16, although the flexible coil 7, whenconnected to each shaft with the proper tension, will ordinarily forceshaft 5 sufficiently to keep pin 13 in engagement with the stopper. Thechambered-out portion is of sufficient length to permit the withdrawalof the shaft to a sufficient eXtent to cause the pin 13 to becomedisengaged from the recess 16. Obviously to remove the basin-plug it issimply necessary to reach under the basin and pull the rod outwardly andat the same time draw out the plug. As the horizontal and verticalshafts are connected by the flexible shaft 7, the withdrawal of theformer does not in any way affect the connection between the two.

. When a basin is located in a public place, if any of the parts areeasily removable these parts are always liable to be stolen.Considerable trouble has been experienced by having basin-plugs stolen;but with the construction above described there would be little chanceof having this occur, yet there would be no difculty experienced inremoving the plug by one familiar with the construction. Having theshaft which carries the eccentric projection capable of sliding movementwith respect to the waste-pipe is also of advantage when it is notdesired to provide the stem of the plug with a chamber for theeccentricpin, which is closed at the bottom in order to prevent thewithdrawal of the plug when the shaft which carries said piu is in itsnormal position. It is often desirable to pass a swab or cleaning-roddown the waste-pipe, and it would be undesirable to have any partsprojecting into the pipe whichwould interfere with the swab. With thisarrangement it is simply necessary to pull the horizontal shaftoutwardly and all obstructing parts in the waste-pipe are withdrawn.

It will thus be seen that I provide a simple and durable plug-operatingmeans which is readily applied to different sizes of basins and whichwhen used in combination with certain forms of basin-plugs provides avery effective means for locking the plug against removal. Theparticular form of plug is not essential, it being only necessary thatthe plug be provided with a recess which is so arranged that the sidethereof will engage the projection on the horizontal shaft when the plugis drawn upwardly.

Having described my. invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination of a waste-plu g having a downward projection, arecess therein, a rotatable shaft, an eccentric projection carriedthereby, a spring for pressing said projection into engagement with saidrecess, but permitting its withdrawal therefrom, a second shaft carryingan operating-handle arranged at an angle to said first-named shaft, anda flexible shaft connecting the opposite ends of said above-mentionedshafts.

2. A receptacle having a waste-plug, a recess in said plug, a rotatableshaft having an eccentric projection which is adapted to engage saidrecess, said shaft being arranged so that said projection may be movedlongitudinally into and out of engagement with said recess, anoperating-shaft, and a tlexiblp shaft 7 connecting the adjacent ends ofsaid shafts, substantially as described.

3. A receptacle having a waste-plug provided with a depending portionhaving a recess in the side thereof, a rotatable andlongitudinally-movable operating-shaft having a projection which isadapted to engage said recess and lift said plug, a spring for pressingsaid projection into engagement with said recess but permitting itswithdrawal therefrom, said projection and recess being so formed as toprevent the withdrawal of said plug when said shaft is in its normalposition.

4. In a sanitary fixture a waste-plug having a depending stem in thewaste-passage, a longitudinally-movable rotatable shaft, aprojectioncarried thereby which is adapted to en? gage said stem and lift saidplug when the shaft is rotated, an operating shaft arranged at an angleto said first-named shaft and a coiled spring connecting the adjacentends of said shafts, said spring being so arranged with respect to saidshafts that it will normally hold the projection of said first-namedshaft in position to engage said stem and yet permit the withdrawal ofsaid projection from the waste-passage without disconnecting any of theparts.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM BUNTING, JR.

l/Vitnesses LoUIs H. I-IARRIMAN, THOMAS G. KEOHAN.

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